So you want to be a samurai?

Update:

Speaking of Japan, you cannot leave out samurai. There must be people who got to know about samurai from movies such as "The Last Samurai" or games, and become interested in them. Let's actually become a samurai at the Samurai Museum in Tokyo!

Were samurai heroes, or just ordinary soldiers?

What kind of people were the samurai? The word "samurai" originally means "obedience" and refers to people who serve others. Between 1603 to 1868, samurai didn't go to fight but had family businesses and dealt with the daily affairs of the imperial court. They were completely different from the general image of samurai. However, the number of bushi, samurai who were good at martial arts, gradually increased. Afterwards, the warrior class continued to grow, and the peasants and provincial samurai also received the same treatment as a bushi. Around that time, samurai started to indicate the upper class bushi. These are the samurai that people commonly imagine.

Onward to the Samurai Museum

The Samurai Museum is located in Shinjuku's Kabukicho, which is popular with tourists. Here you can fully enjoy samurai culture. This museum, which is popular with foreign tourists, continues to attract foreigners who love samurai. The staff will respond to you in English, and will answer to any questions you have. You can look at authentic armor or the replicas, and the exhibitions vary in range from the ordinary armor to the ones which were used by shogun (the general). You can even try on the weapons once used by samurai.

The samurai weapons are beautiful yet frightening

The great appeal of this museum is that you can have a really close look at the weapons. The katana (Japanese swords) are truly fine and beautiful, and extremely sharp. According to the staff, among all of the katana, the ones made between 1185 to 1333 especially receive high evaluations. It is because of their good iron quality, and for the small number of swords which appeared in the market. We were also told about the manufacturing process from the staff. Katana are hard on the outside, and soft in the inside. If it is hard it will become brittle, and bendy if it is soft. Here lies the dilemma. How tough the production of katana must be. The high-class katana are said to cost as much as 10,000,000 JPY!

Interactions with samurai!

At this museum, other than the exhibits, you can watch he performances of the staff playing samurai up close. The spectators were in silence and completely absorbed in the agile movements and the stream of various tricks. There were moments when a stir of surprise swept through the spectators. After the main performance, there will be an explanation of each posture and trick. They also let the audience actually hold the katana while showing the basic posture. For most of the foreign visitors, it is their first experience to handle a katana. Therefore, gasps of joy escape from the foreigners holding the katana. You can also take commemorative photos with the katana and samurai.

Let's visit the Samurai Museum!

Not only can you see samurai using the katana, but watching them perform is more exciting than expected. You can also handle the katana and take pictures of unique situations which you cannot usually encounter. and it will surely become an excellent memory of Japan. How about experiencing the attraction of the realistic samurai which you can't often see in your daily life?